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Procedures for Addressing the Board

The Secretary of the Board of Trustees shall have the proposed agenda for the Board’s formal session available to the public before each scheduled formal session. Agenda items may be removed or added prior to or at the Board’s formal session.

The formal session agenda shall provide for the following order and time allotted for public comments:

a) Comments of the presidents/alternates of the Faculty Senate, Western Student Association, and Graduate Student Association. Generally time limits will not apply to these governing bodies’ officers; however, the Board Chair (or presiding Trustee in absence of the Chair) may limit the time to speak to ten minutes each.

b) Comments for up to five minutes in time from each president (or one alternate) of the University’s collective bargaining units, APA, or PSSO, from whom requests to address the Board in accordance with these procedures have been received at least 24 hours in advance of the formal session.

c) Public comments, other than those described above, from individuals who have submitted requests in accordance with these procedures, and that may be heard within a 30 (thirty) minute total collective time period.

In order to allow more people to address the Board, and except as otherwise provided for in these procedures or allowed by the Board Chair, general public individual presentations are limited to three (3) minutes each. Speakers will be prompted when they have 30 seconds left to speak and when their time is up. Since time allotted for public comment may not allow for all persons who wish to speak, requests will generally be accommodated on a first-received basis.

Public comment request forms are available in the Board office, 3050 Seibert Administration Building, prior to the day of the formal session—the form is available for download. Requests may also be submitted online. In addition, on the day of the formal session, the Board Secretary will also provide public comment request forms outside the room where the formal session is held. It is encouraged that public comment requests be submitted prior to the date of the formal session to the Board Secretary, who also may be contacted online, or at (269) 387-2360.

Those who wish to speak must provide their name and address in writing (for potential follow up communications).

Any individuals who have submitted a public comment request prior to the formal session but who were not able to address the Board before the time allotted for public comments is over may submit their comments in writing to the Board Secretary, who will provide those comments to the Trustees after the formal session.

Generally, requesters may not give any of their comment time to someone else. Exceptions may be made by the Chair in compelling circumstances, such as to accommodate a special need or if the requester needs to leave the formal session before the Board hears public comments on non-action items.

PowerPoint or other audio/visual equipment is not permitted during public comment. However, written materials may be provided to the Board if received by the Board Secretary prior to the beginning of the formal session or as otherwise permitted by the Board Chair. If the individual providing the documents is also scheduled to make oral comments, s/he should give 15 collated copies to the Board Secretary, who will distribute them to the Board members at or before the time of the comments.

The chair of the Board may authorize modifications to these procedures.

Updated May 28, 2015 as authorized by the Chair of the Board of Trustees.